STI
STI: Sexually Transmitted
Infection
- More encompassing, including infections that may be
asymptomatic.
You can get an STI from
having sex with someone who is infected regardless of age, background, or
sexual orientation.
You have a chance of
catching a sexually transmitted infection if:
The only sure way to
prevent a sexually transmitted infection is to avoid risky behaviour.
Healthy and safer
choices:
v STIs are usually spread through sex because the bacteria
or viruses travel in semen, vaginal fluids, and blood. Saliva (or spit)
can spread some STIs if you have a tiny cut in or around your mouth.
v STIs can be spread through direct contact with an infected
area.
v Infected blood on needles and syringes can spread certain
STIs.
v Infected women can pass some STIs to their babies during
pregnancy, at childbirth or during breastfeeding.
v You can catch some STIs more than once. And, you can have
more than one STI at a time.
v If you are HIV positive and have another of the sexually
transmitted infections, you increase your chances of GIVING HIV to your
partner.
v If you don't have HIV but have another sexually transmitted
infection, you increase your chances of GETTING HIV from an HIV positive
partner.
v Many STIs are easily treated, but all can be dangerous if
ignored.
v To reduce the possibility of spreading STIs or reinfection, sexual
activity should be postponed until treatment has been completed.
v For some STIs, like HIV, there is no cure to date.
Types of STI
┴
Very common bacterial STI - and one
of the more serious.
┴
It can spread silently in females
and cause a painful, long-term condition called PID (pelvic inflammatory
disease) and infertility (the inability to have children).
┴
Pregnant women can pass this
infection on to their babies at birth, who can then get infections of their
eyes or lungs.
┴
You can get chlamydia from any
type of unprotected sex.
For those who develop
symptoms, they usually appear one to three weeks after sex with an infected
person.
Sometimes, the symptoms
are so mild that a person may not notice them. Men often have no symptoms
and can spread the infection without knowing they have it.
Females:
Males:
┴
Chlamydia can often be treated
with just one dose of antibiotics taken by mouth. But you can get it again right away from your partner if
he/she isn't treated as well.
If you are a female with
chlamydia and you don't get treated, this could happen to you:
The long-term
effects of chlamydia on males are not well known.
┴
is an STI that causes painful
sores on and around the genitals. The same
family of viruses also causes "cold sores" around the mouth.
┴
Genital herpes is most commonly
spread by direct contact with open sores, usually during sex. (If you touch herpes sores, wash your
hands with soap and water to avoid spreading the infection.)
┴
Although it is rare, pregnant
women can pass this infection to their baby during or after child birth. Herpes
infection in infants can be life-threatening.
┴
Herpes is not spread by toilet seats, bathtubs, swimming pools or hot tubs.
┴
It is possible to pass the virus
to your sex partners even when you have no sores, so safer sex using a
condom is always important.
┴
You can get genital herpes
through oral sex even from cold sores.
┴
There is no cure for genital
herpes, but medication may shorten the attacks and make the
sores less painful.
┴
Once you have herpes, you are
infected for life.
┴
Tingling or itching in the
genital area may appear within a week of
having sex with an infected person.
┴
A cluster of tiny blisters will
likely appear. These blisters will burst and leave painful sores, which
last from two to three weeks.
┴
A fever and headache may occur in
the first attack.
Males:
v Keep the infected area clean and dry. Wash your towel before re-using.
v After bathing, use a hair dryer instead of a towel around
the sores, or pat dry gently.
v Try to wear loose fitting clothing made of natural materials
such as cotton.
v If urinating is painful, pouring warm water over the area may
help, or urinate in the bathtub just before getting out.
v Also known as "the clap" or "a dose."
v Is a common STI which, if not treated early, can cause
serious health problems, especially for women.
v Gonorrhea in women left untreated could lead to a painful,
long-term condition called PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) and
infertility (the inability to have children).
v A pregnant woman can pass gonorrhea to her baby during birth,
and cause a serious eye infection or blindness.
v If you catch gonorrhea from having sex with an infected
partner, you might not notice any symptoms. If you do, they will appear
three to five days after sex.
v Even if you don't have symptoms, you can have gonorrhea
and you can pass it on to others.
Females:
Males:
v Gonorrhea can often be treated with just one dose of
antibiotics taken by mouth and can be cured. But
you can get it again right away from your partner if he/she isn't treated as
well.
v Trichomonas is a germ that can be spread during sex.
v It can cause vaginitis in women – an inflamed, sore
and itchy vagina, sometimes with an unusual discharge.
v Very rarely trichomonas can lead to pelvic inflammatory
disease (PID) – a serious infection in women.
v If a woman who is pregnant has "trich", her baby
may be born early or weigh less than normal.
v Even if you don't have any symptoms you can still pass on
"trich" to your partner if you are infected.
Females:
Males:
Often males don't have any symptoms but they may
experience:
How Trichomonas is treated
v Trichomonas can be treated with pills, but both you and your partner need to be treated to prevent
you from getting the infection again.
，
Also known as getting "crabs"
from sex.
，
This happens when tiny insects
spread from an infected person to you.
，
This can happen as a result of
sex, but not always.
，
You can also get scabies and lice
from using bed sheets or towels or wearing the clothes of an infected
person.
，
The insects either bite you or
burrow into your skin to lay their eggs.
，
With lice, you may actually
see the pearly white eggs on the hair in your pubic area, close to the skin.
Scabies:
Pubic lice:
，
Scabies and lice may be
treated easily with special creams, lotions or shampoos.
，
Wash clothes and bed linen in hot
water, or dry-clean and press with a very hot iron. Freezing clothes,
fabrics or blankets or storing them in an air-tight plastic bag for two weeks
will also destroy the insects and their eggs.
，
Anyone with whom you have had
close contact or who has shared your bed sheets, clothes or towels should be
treated, even if they don't have an itch or rash.
，
HPV is thought to be one of
the most common viral STI.
，
HPV is a virus that is spread through
sex or close skin-to-skin, genital area contact with someone who is infected.
Types of HPV
，
Growths on or around the genitals
or anal area in both males and females that are caused by HPV (HUMAN
PAPILLOMAVIRUS).
，
The warts can be different sizes.
They may look like a very small cauliflower or be flat and hard to see.
，
They grow in moist areas such as
the penis, the vagina, the cervix, the anus, the scrotum and the thighs.
，
Very rarely warts may appear on
the lips or in the mouth after oral sex with an infected person.
，
The warts are not usually painful
but can occasionally be itchy and may have a discharge or bleed – especially
if they have been irritated.
，
If you do have genital warts, no
treatment can guarantee that you will be cured of your HPV infection. However,
treating your warts may lower your risk of passing them along to others.
，
Even when they are treated, warts
often return. But over time many people eventually clear HPV from their bodies,
and don't get any more warts.
，
The types of HPV that cause
genital warts do not cause cancer. But, because you could have more than one
type of HPV you could be at risk for both warts and cancer.
，
When the cervix is infected with
HPV, changes can occur in the cells of the cervix. These changes can lead to
cancer of the cervix if they are not found and treated.
，
Almost all cervical cancers are
caused by HPV.
，
A Pap test is the best way to check the cells of the cervix to see if
they have any changes.
，
If your cervix has precancerous
or cancerous changes you may not have any symptoms – that is why it is so
important to have regular Pap tests.
，
Some types of HPV can also lead
to other cancers in the genital area in both males and females
，
Anyone who has had sex is at risk
of having HPV, even if there are no symptoms. If you are female, it's
important that you see your doctor regularly for Pap testing.
，
Hepatitis B is an infection of
the liver caused by a virus.
，
Sometimes the infection goes away
by itself or sometimes people carry the virus for the rest of their lives and
never know, but still give it to other people.
，
A lot of people have hepatitis B
without knowing it. It can cause serious problems later in life, including
permanent liver disease and cancer of the liver.
，
The good news is that hepatitis B can be
prevented by a vaccine.
The symptoms and signs
，
Most people who become infected
with hepatitis B have no symptoms. Symptoms usually occur within two to six
months after contact. They can include:
，
The hepatitis B virus is spread
through infected body fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal fluid.
，
An infant can be vaccinated at
birth to protect against infection if the mother carries the hepatitis B virus.
To lower your
chances of getting hepatitis B, make sure you:
，
You can find out if you have
hepatitis B through a blood test.
，
If you have been infected, avoid
having sex until your doctor says it's okay.
，
Your sexual partner can be
protected against the infection by getting the hepatitis B vaccine.
，
Remember, hepatitis B is not
always an STI. You can get it other ways as well.
，
Syphilis is a serious disease that
can affect your entire body.
，
If not treated, syphilis may
cause serious health problems years later, such as heart or brain damage.
，
You can have it without knowing
and pass it on to others.
，
Pregnant women with syphilis can
give it to their unborn child, sometimes causing birth defects - even death.
Sores often go unnoticed
and may disappear on their own if not treated, but the infection is still
active. Symptoms may appear from days to months after infection.